Senecio plant named ‘Sene Igonina’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Senecio plant named ‘Sene Igonina’, characterized by its upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; large daisy-type inflorescences with ray florets that are dark reddish purple in color.

Botanical designation: Senecio cruentus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SENE IGONINA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Senecio plant, botanically known as Senecio cruentus, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sene Igonina’.

The new Senecio plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new upright, uniformly mounding and vigorous Senecio plants with a freely-branching habit, early flowering and numerous attractive inflorescences.

The new Senecio plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in March, 2015 of a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code designation 15BonS-13-1, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code designation 15BonS-13-2, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Senecio plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in February, 2016.

Asexual reproduction of the new Senecio plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since October, 2017 has shown that the unique features of this new Senecio plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Senecio have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sene Igonina’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sene Igonina’ as a new and distinct Senecio plant:

-   -   1. Upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Large daisy-type inflorescences with ray florets that are         dark reddish purple in color.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Senecio differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in plant size as plants of the new Senecio are shorter than plants of the female parent selection. In addition, plants of the new Senecio have larger inflorescences than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Senecio differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in plant size as plants of the new Senecio are shorter than plants of the male parent selection. In addition, plants of the new Senecio have larger inflorescences than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Senecio can also be compared to plants of Senecio cruentus ‘Sunsenere’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,162. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Senecio differ from plants of ‘Sunsenere’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio have smaller and darker green-         colored leaves with shorter petioles than plants of ‘Sunsenere’.     -   2. Plants of the new Senecio are more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Sunsenere’.     -   3. Plants of the new Senecio flower later than plants of         ‘Sunsenere’.     -   4. Plants of the new Senecio have larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Sunsenere’.     -   5. Ray florets of plants of the new Senecio are darker reddish         purple in color than ray florets of plants of ‘Sunsenere’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Senecio plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Senecio plant.

The photograph at the top of the photographic sheet (FIG. 1 ) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sene Igonina’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the photographic sheet (FIG. 2 ) is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Sene Igonina’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 24-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Senecio production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 10° C. and night temperatures averaged 5° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were six months old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Senecio cruentus ‘Sene Igonina’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio             cruentus identified as code designation 15BonS-13-1, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio             cruentus identified as code designation 15BonS-13-2, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About one week at             temperatures about 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and             winter.—About four weeks at temperatures about 18° C. to 20°             C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Upright and uniformly mounded             plant habit; large daisy-type inflorescences positioned             above the foliar plane; vigorous growth habit; freely             branching habit with about six primary branches each with             numerous secondary branches.         -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 51 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About             3.3 mm. Internode length: About 3.4 cm. Strength: Strong.             Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color:             Close to 143B.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 7.3 cm. Width: About 8.5 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Cordate. Margin: Senate; moderately undulate.             Texture and luster, upper surface: Sparsely pubescent;             matte. Texture and luster, lower surface: Moderately             pubescent, rough; matte. Venation pattern: Pinnate;             reticulate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close             to NN137B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C.             Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137A;             venation, close to 137B. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to NN137C; venation, close to 138B. Leaf             petioles: Length: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 2.3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 137C variably tinged with close             to NN77B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Large daisy-type inflorescences with             linear-shaped ray florets; inflorescences arising from upper             leaf axils and positioned above the foliar plane on strong             peduncles; disc and ray florets developing acropetally on a             capitulum; inflorescences face mostly upright to slightly             outwardly; freely flowering habit with about 144             inflorescences developing per plant during the flowering             season.         -   Fragrance.—Moderately fragrant, pleasant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Senecio begin             flowering about 22 weeks after planting; plants flower             continuously from winter to late spring in Japan.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two weeks             on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About             6.2 mm. Shape: Globose. Color: Close to N78A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 1 cm. Disc diameter: About 1 cm.         -   Receptacles.—Diameter: About 7.5 mm. Height: About 1.4 mm.             Color: Close to 139D.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 13 per             inflorescence arranged in a single whorl. Length: About             3.2 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex: Acute. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire, not undulate. Aspect: Initially             upright, then horizontal; flat. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening,             upper surface: Darker than NN78A. When opening, lower             surface: Close to NN78A. Fully opened, upper surface: Darker             than NN78A; venation, darker than NN7 8A; color does not             change with subsequent development. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to NN78A; midvein, close to 75D, and lateral             venation, close to NN78A; color does not change with             subsequent development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 118. Length:             About 7.9 mm. Diameter, at apex: About 1.5 mm. Diameter, at             base: About 0.8 mm. Shape: Tubular; apex dentate,             five-pointed. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature:             Close to N78A. Color, mature: Close to N80A.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 13 per             inflorescence arranged in a single whorl. Length: About             1.9 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Narrowly acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface:             Close to 137C and 138B. Color, lower surface: Close to 138A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.6 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright to outwardly.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to NN137A variably             tinged with close to 187B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Filament length: About 1.5 mm. Filament color: Close             to 145D. Anther size: About 0.8 mm by 1.3 mm. Anther shape:             Narrowly ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to N79B. Pollen             amount: Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 17A. Gynoecium:             Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil length: About             7.2 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to             N79B. Style color: Close to 157D. Ovary color: Close to             150D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Senecio. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Senecio have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Senecio plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Senecio have been observed     to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Senecio plant named ‘Sene Igonina’ as illustrated and described. 